Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/330

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COI-UMBJA AXD MONTOUR COUNTIES

a steward* and a teacher in the Sabbath Goshen* one year. .At fifteen he w*cnt to New* school. In t88o he was elected a lay d e l^ ate A^ork City and served an apprenticeship in a to the Central I ’entisylvania Conference, and hardware store until 1839* ^hcn he rctum cd by that body elected a lay delegate to the home and enp^agcd in the manufacture o f General Conference which met in Cincinnati* p.ipcr and agricultural implements* as well as Ohio, in May* 1880. lie died March 20, 19 11* merchandising with his father, until 1844* leaving to sur'ivc him one son* William G. when he came to DanviUe to represent the Shoop* who now occupies the homestead. interests o f Murdock* l^ a v itt & Co. in the B. F. S h u l t z, M. D .* was bom in Columbia Montour Iron Works* and acted as the resi­ county* March 19, 1828. a son of Peter and dent agent of the company. During this time Sarah Shultz. H is father was o f Gemian he buiu what w as know*n as the com])dny store origin* his mother a Peiinsylvatiiaii of Scotch and in 1846 engaged in merchandising, asso­ origin. Dr. Shultz w as the seventh in a family ciated with New A’ork stockholders of the o f nine chihlren and obtained his early educa­ company, under the firm name o f T . O. 'an tion in his native county, subsequently attend­ Alcn & Company. In t866, in connection ing the University o f Penn^ivania. 11c with George NI. l^ slic and A . H . o r is, he studied medicine in the office o f D r Jam es D. built the nail factory in Northumberland* and Strawbridgc and entered Jefferson Medical with his sons engaged in the manufacture o f CoUege. at Philndclpliia* where he graduated iron and nails. A fact worthy o f note w as with (he degree o f M. D. Immediately after that Mr. V*an Alcn kept his mills running his graduation he commenced the practice of through all the depressions occurring during his profession at Danville, where he secured his active business life. In 1846 he was m ar­ a large and lucrative practice. H e died leav­ ried to Ann Catherine* daughter o f Cornelius ing to survive him Isadora, who married Garrctson* ironmaster. M r. and Mrs. *ati Oliver Drumhcltcr; Cameron Shultz, now a Alcn were members of the Mahoning P re s­ practicing physician in D anville; Florence, byterian Church* and Mr. V'an Alen was fo r w ife o f A. H. G rone; I>cl>orah* who married a numl>er o f years president of the boaixl of Thomas (L Vincent; and Araminta, w ife of trustees. F o r many years he w as a tru.stcc of E . 1. Ktove, o f Iowa. the State Hospital for the Insane at Danville T . O. V.iN At.tiN w as one of the leading business men and manufacturers o f Danville. and a director of the First National Bank. He was horn in Chatham Center* Columbia Five o f his children lived to reach maturity* Co.* N . Y ., Aug. 1 9 ,1 8 1 9 . H is ]>atemal great­ viz.; Cornelius G.* Gilbert R.* .A. Oakley. grandfather emigrated from Holland to New Edmund O. and George L . A ll the sons be­ York* and his son* Gilbert Van Alcn, w as bom came active Imsiness men. George L . is a in Columbia county, N. Y.* and followed Presbyterian minister. M r. Van Alen died farm ing; married Annis Moore* o f Columbia A pril 6* i89t. Ofx>tcE H. B r o w s was bom in what is now county, N. Y.* and to (hem were bom (wo children, Reuben and Catherine. Catherine Nfoniour county* Sept. 13, i8i6* a son o f marricil John G. 'an ’olkeiiburg, a farmer Samuel and Dorothy (N eice) Brown. H is and merchant o f Columbia county. N. Y. great-grand father came to .America from Reuben married M ary, daughter o f Timothy England, and his grandparents settled in vhat and Saliie Oakley* ancl pursuc<] farming and is now Montour county in 1795. G e o ^ c R. merchandising at Chatham Center. They had was the eighth o f nine children* nil o f whom three sons and one daughter: Gilbert R ., T im ­ grew to maturity, and w*as nine years o f age othy O.* SaIHe O. and Lew is O. ITic daugh­ when his father died. H e remained with his ter dic<l aged thirteen years. T. O. Van Alcn mother on the fan n until he was fourteen, was eight years old when his parents moved meanwhile attending the district school, and to Salisbury Mills, Orange Co.* N. He worked out on farm s until he was seventeen attended the common schools until ten )rcars years old. H e then clerked in a store in M ill­ old. when his father employed a private ville, Columbia county, until 1834. In chat teacher for him. .At twelve years o f age Mr. year he came to Danville, and fo r two years A‘an Alcn entered (he academy at Kinder- clerked in a d ry goods store. Liter purchasing hook. Columbia Co.. X. Y .. remaining there the store o f S. M. Bownwn & Company, which two vears. tluring which time he rcsidcok store in Danville, dealing in quently he rctumcd to* Orange county and liouks, stationery, artists’ supplies, etc., and attended the school o f Nathaniel Stark, at to him belongs the honor o f circulating the